Stephanie McEvoy is Operations Director for Farming Carbon - a Northern Ireland initiative creating environmental and social impact through sustainable 'carbon farming'. Carbon farming is an approach to agricultural practices that result in increased storage of atmospheric carbon in the soil. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Stephanie explains how employing this regenerative approach to farming promotes biodiversity and carbon sequestration while also supporting rural communities and food security for all.
Episode 65: Kathy Wicks - Capturing Nature
Skunk Cabbage
Kathy Wicks has been a nature lover, writer, and artist since childhood. She has an academic background in fine art, environmental education, marketing, and library science. She now focuses on her passion for the serenity of the outdoors and capturing life through the camera lens in the form of environmental photography. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Kathy talks about her personal approach and philosophy to capturing nature in such a way that the viewer not only sees as she sees, but senses her relationship with the subject.
Sagamon River
Episode 64: The Aldo Leopold Foundation - Inspiring an Ethic of Care
Aldo Leopold
Established in 1982 by the five children of Aldo Leopold and his wife Estella, The Aldo Leopold Foundation is a conservation organization whose vision is to weave a land ethic into the fabric of our society; to advance the understanding, stewardship and restoration of land health; and to cultivate leadership for conservation. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Stefan talks with Senior Fellow Stanley Temple and Jackson Newman (from the Future Leaders Program) about how they work to celebrate the ideas and legacy of Aldo Leopold and the important work being done by the Leopold Foundation.
The Shack
Episode 63: Bron Taylor - The Sacred in Nature
Bron Taylor is professor of religion and environmental ethics at the University of Florida and author of Dark Green Religion - Nature Spirituality and the Planetary Future. His research focuses on the affective and spiritual dimensions, and political impacts, of grassroots environmental movements around the world, as well as upon the complex relationships between human beings, their religions, and the environments they inhabit. In this episode of Nature Revisited, the topic at hand is the notion of 'The Sacred' as it pertains to nature, if such a thing is inherent within nature, and our moral obligations to the earth's diversity of life and other natural wonders.
Episode 62: Alan Bergo - The Forager Chef
Alan Bergo is most widely known as a culinary personality and authority on wild Midwestern food, especially mushrooms. In 2012 he launched his website Forager | Chef which now reaches over 1000 people per day, and allows him to connect with mushroom hunters and foragers from around the world. His recent book The Forager Chef's Book of Flora features 180 recipes and over 230 of his own beautiful photographs, inviting us to explore the edible plants we find all around us. In this episode, Alan talks about his experiences in restaurant cooking, discovering his passion for foraged foods, and why we should all venture outside the supermarket and discover what delicious surprises nature has to offer.
Episode 61: Richard J. King - Melville's Oceans
Richard J. King is the author of Ahab's Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick and other books of nonfiction, as well as articles, reviews, and interviews. His works often explore the history of our relationship with marine life and the sea, and Rich has been sailing on tall ships for over twenty years, traveling throughout the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as both a teacher and a sailor. In this episode, Richard discusses the historical context of Moby-Dick, its place in the fabric of American culture, and why it is still in many ways as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1851.
Episode 60: Jonathan Segal - The Journey To There
Jonathan in Nepal
Jonathan Segal is an avid traveler and naturalist, drawn to remote locations and aboriginal cultures. His various explorations include travels to Costa Rica, the Peruvian Amazon, the Pacific islands, the Red Sea, Nepal, Bhutan, and Papua New Guinea. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Stefan sits down with an old friend and asks what compels him to go to these places, what he has learned, and what these cultures that exist off the beaten path have to offer all of us.
Papua New Guinea
Episode 59: Philadelphia's Rail Park
The Rail Park is a new park in progress in Philadelphia, revitalizing three miles of unused rail lines into a usable, beautiful, public space for all. Situated on two obsolete train lines that served the Reading Terminal, the first phase of construction is complete—filled with pathways, greenery, and amazing city views. In this episode, we speak with Executive Director Rebecca Cordes Chan about the pertinent facts and history of the rail park, how the vision of the park is being realized, and how the project is progressing. Listen to the Rail Park’s podcast Sounds of the Rail Park.
The Cut
Episode 58: Doug Tallamy - Bringing Nature Home
Doug Tallamy is a professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he studies the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. In his book Bringing Nature Home, Tallamy explains why everyone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity by simply choosing native plants. This episode- pulled from an interview conducted during the production of the film Negotiating with Nature - expands upon these ideas and alarming facts.
Episode 57: Richard Louv - Last Child In The Woods
Richard Louv is a non-fiction author and journalist best known for his seventh book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, which investigates the relationship of children and the natural world. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Stefan asks Richard to revisit the central topics in this notable book within the context of today's cultural landscape of climate crisis, pandemic, loss of biodiversity, and human isolation.
Episode 56: Nick Byron Campbell - Arbow
Nick Byron Campbell is a musician & sound artist based in Bend, Oregon. In addition to creating music for film, TV and commercial, he also creates music under the moniker Left Vessel. His latest album One (and Driftless) incorporates a production technique Nick calls "arbow", which involves creating temporary instruments using living trees. In this episode Nick talks about his roots as a musician and nature enthusiast, and how the two interests have grown over time to become entwined in his latest musical works and sound art experiences.
This Year Be music video
Episode 55: Nadine Phillips - Nature & Forest Therapy
Nadine Phillips is a Forest Therapy Guide based in Mississippi, and is certified by the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance (INFTA). Deeply rooted in the Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”, Forest Therapy is an evidence-based Public health practice considered to be a natural remedy to reduce stress and a pathway to a happier, healthier and more rewarding life. In this episode, Nadine talks with Stefan about her personal discoveries of the wonders of nature and how that has led to her sharing this passion, as well as some of the transformative, positive experiences she has helped foster for others.
Episode 54: Cindy Crosby - Chasing Dragonflies
Cindy Crosby is a writer, teacher, and lecturer on the tallgrass prairie and nature conservation. She is also a Master Gardener, a prairie steward, and a dragonfly monitor. Her latest book Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural, Cultural, and Personal History is an engaging introduction to these remarkable insects. In this episode, Cindy re-introduces us to the often-ignored dragonfly, describing their history, natural habitats & behaviors, cultural mythologies, and ways we can attract them to our own gardens.
Episode 53: Moely Prairie - In Their Own Words
Moely Prairie is the largest remnant of the 14,000-acre Sauk Prairie in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Because it has never been plowed, the prairie is home to a rich array of native prairie plants and animals. Permanently protected through a perpetual conservation easement by owner Barbara Moely in 2015, the prairie is managed and cared for by The Prairie Enthusiasts Empire-Sauk Chapter. In this episode of Nature Revisited, we learn- through the words of the aforementioned- of Moely Prairie's history, its ecological treasures, the challenges of its upkeep, and what lays in store for the future. *Read this episode’s write-up on The Prairie Enthusiasts blog.
Episode 52: John Shewey - The Allure of the Hummingbird
Lifelong birding enthusiast John Shewey is a veteran writer, editor, and professional outdoor photographer. John's new book The Hummingbird Handbook is a must-have guide to attracting, understanding and protecting hummingbirds. In this episode of Nature Revisited, John talks about the origin of his fascination with hummingbirds, and shares a variety of interesting facts, discoveries and insights into the alluring world of these captivating birds.
